Hey, Why Not? Universal Announces ‘Weird Science’ Remake

Bryan Enk

Movie TalkApril 18, 2013

We saw what those little maniacs wanted to do first. Now we're going to see what they want to do second.

The perfect woman will be created once again as Universal and uber-producer Joel Silver have announced their plans to remake "Weird Science," writer-director John Hughes' gonzo "Porky's" meets "Frankenstein" comedy from way back in 1985.

"Weird Science" followed the adventures of Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith), two high school outcasts who use their home computer (a Memotech MTX512, which is quite the mighty machine, apparently) to conjure the girl of their dreams. However, the woman who emerges from their experiments, Lisa (Kelly LeBrock), ends up being much more than just a sex object as she teaches the boys about self-respect, self-confidence and, yes, even true love.

"Weird Science" is a, well, weird and uneven mess, though it's not without its '80s charm and heart. It also gave us one of the best on-screen villains of all time: Chet (Bill Paxton), the big brother from hell whose eventual comeuppance comes in the form of being turned into literally a pile of s**t. The film also features an early performance by Robert Downey Jr. as one of the boys' tormentors.

If anything, "Weird Science" served as a transitional, more experimental (pun intended) project for the late, great Hughes, allowing him a fantastical departure from angsty high school dramedies such as "Sixteen Candles" (1984) and "The Breakfast Club" (1985). After "Weird Science," Hughes returned to more serious teenage fare with "Pretty in Pink" (1986) but also went on to make a much more well-structured and nuanced comedy with "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986).

"Weird Science," the "ultimate nerd wish fulfillment comedy," is being reworked for the 21st century, with Michael Bacall set to write the screenplay. Bacall is familiar with this kind of material, as he recently penned both "Project X" and "21 Jump Street" -- and, in keeping with the raunchy material of those films, the new "Weird Science" will likely be an R-rated endeavor ... which means we actually might see more of Lisa in the shared shower scene this time around.

No casting has been announced yet, though we're sure you'll be seeing plenty of "Who should star in the 'Weird Science' remake" speculation online very soon.